PDA

View Full Version : anyone else with BNI experience...after 3 years im quiting



huggytree
09-28-2010, 08:35 PM
BNI used to bring me $35k-45k a year...now its down to $12k and $6k of that was repeat business i would have gotten whether i was a member or not.(customers from previous years)

i am sick of spending 1.5 hours plus 1 hour drive time every week for no leads...my leads have been up this year, so im giving...

my group has become frugal...almost all the new members over the years have been from 1 member who is frugal....its become a group of low price/low quality....since im mid-high price most of the people dont use me...

anyone else with BNI experience? how has your group been this year?

Business Attorney
09-29-2010, 12:03 AM
I have no experience with BNI but I would offer two observations-

Even though your business is doing well this year, the economy is still in the tank. It is possible that the frugality you see is the effect of the economy on the other members and that the value of the referrals will bounce back. That would lead to the conclusion that you should stick it out.

On the other hand, I have seen other networking groups that changed over time, or stayed static while a member's needs changed. If there are fundamental changes that make a particular networking activity no longer relevant to your particular needs, it is time to move on.

It may be difficult to tell which is the case. If I had doubts but I enjoyed the company of the people I was networking with, I would probably stick it out a while longer. Remember, you have made an investment of time building the relationships, and you are throwing out that investment when you leave the group. If I found going to the meetings completely unfulfilling from even a casual social aspect, then I would be more likely to drop the activity.

huggytree
09-29-2010, 07:34 PM
ive never gotten many leads during the winter months....so in a normal year it would be poor from now until spring (5-6 months).....its the perfect time to move on

the group meets 45 min from where i live...i rarely work near that area, so im always driving 30 min to my next job, sometimes 45 min...

many people in the group are local to the area....so i cant get them leads...people from my neighborhood arent going to drive 45 min for a dentist or back doctor

since i havent gotten many of these people leads i think they are skipping me over....my ability to get leads is limited to 4-8 people out of the 35 we used to have....its not suprising that many of those dont refer me i guess...i try to use people in the group for my person things if i cant get them leads.

many people in the group are not good at what they do...the printer sucks=he's very slow and makes alot of mistakes(but he's cheap)....the remodeler doesnt return calls when given leads...

the group has just become trash......ive made the decision to show up next week and then stop...this will give me 3 abstances which will take me through October to decide whether to permanently get out